What Is Music

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Zinab Abdulzahra 2/26/2014 MUSIC What is music? There are various definitions that offer suitable interpretations. To determine the beginning of anything, one must define it. Here’s a definition about music; “Music – an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and colour. The tones or sounds employed, occurring in single line (melody) or multiple lines (harmony), and sounded or to be sounded by one or more voices or instruments, or both.” Music is everywhere. We can’t escape it. We listen to it on the radio while driving around doing errands. We hear it in the background sound effects at the movie theater or on the television. Commercials use music to catch people’s attention and try to make a sale. Music is in grocery stores, public buildings, work-out facilities, recreation centers, and schools. Perhaps the only place others might be able to escape it is in the library. But do we really want to escape music? Have you ever thought about abolishing it? Is it possible to eliminate music from our daily lives? Music has been embedded into our psyche since the day we were born. It relaxes, inspires, soothes, controls, and manipulates and much more. Life is music. But, where did music come from? When and where did music begin? The first time music was probably made trying to imitate a sound and rhythms that occurred naturally. Human music may echo these phenomena using patterns, repetition and tonality. This kind of music is still here today. Shamans sometimes imitate sounds that are heard in nature. It may also serve as entertainment, or have practical uses, like luring in animals when hunting. Some animals also can use music. Such as songbirds use song to protect their territory, or to attract a mate. Monkeys have been seen beating on hollow logs which
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